Search engines generally attempt to provide users with fast, accurate, and timely search results. Several search engines exist with varying interfaces and algorithms that assist computer users in finding resources stored on one or more computing systems, including a network of computing systems. With the advent of the Internet, search engines have grown in speed and functionality, to accommodate demand for finding the billions of resources stored in computing systems connected across the Internet. Web search engines, for instance, are search engines designed to search for information on the Internet. Typically, a user submits a search query specifying certain keywords, criteria, or conditions and the search engine consults one or more indexes to determine which resources, known to the search engine, likely satisfy the search query. Results of the search, also known as “hits,” can be returned to the user. In some cases, the user can access or request the resources included in a listing of hits directly from the listing, for instance, through the selection of a corresponding hyperlink.
In some existing search engines, multiple different users independently submit search queries and interact with search results generated in response to the queries. Users' queries and interactions with the search results can be collected and stored as histories and can be associated with particular users or categories of users. Some modern search engines attempt to take an individual user's history or profile into account when returning results of a given search query. For instance, a geographic location associated with the user can be employed to return, if possible, search results that accord with that location. Historical trends observed for a given user can also be considered in a search algorithm as well as the aggregate historical trends of multiple independent users to assist in generating search result sets more responsive to particular queries. For instance, in some modern search engines, intelligence gleaned from previous searches performed by one or more users can be used to influence both the search criteria recommended and the search results returned for another user in a subsequent search.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.